


Pass the Salt

by ami_ven



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Community: mcsheplets, M/M, Post-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-01
Updated: 2014-01-01
Packaged: 2018-01-07 00:25:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1113301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ami_ven/pseuds/ami_ven
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John found Rodney on one of the farthest balconies, shoulders hunched defensively over the railing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pass the Salt

**Author's Note:**

> written for LJ community "mcsheplets" prompt #118 "open wound"

John found Rodney on one of the farthest balconies, shoulders hunched defensively over the railing. He didn’t look up as John took a step closer, letting the door slide shut behind him.

“Did you bring the salt?” Rodney asked.

“Huh?” said John, because of all the responses he’d anticipated before coming out here, that hadn’t been one of them.

“To rub in my open emotional wounds,” he explained, still looking out at the lights of San Francisco. There was silence for a moment, except for the distant city sounds, then Rodney sighed. “I should have known it wouldn’t last.”

John winced. He’d suspected this from the moment that the copy of Keller’s resignation had crossed his desk, but hearing the defeat in Rodney’s voice was something else entirely.

He took another step closer. “Rodney…”

“I’m not in the mood to hear about whatever conquest story you think would make me feel better, colonel. Or any trite, ‘plenty of fish in the sea’ nonsense. So you can just go to dinner and flirt with the new nurses without me.”

“Look, I’m—” John began, then stopped abruptly. “You know what? I’m _not_ sorry Keller broke up with you.”

Finally, Rodney looked up at him, wearing an expression of anger and hurt. “Oh, that is low, even for—”

“Can you honestly say you were happy with her?” John interrupted.

Rodney stopped mid-outrage. “I wasn’t unhappy,” he said, stubbornly.

“And is that what you wanted? To be _not unhappy_ for the rest of your life?”

“Maybe it was,” Rodney muttered, and turned back to lean on the railing again. “Because now I get to be definitely unhappy for the rest of my life. _Alone_.”

John moved to stand next to him, close enough that their elbows touched. “You don’t have to be,” he said, softly. “Keller was a nice girl, but she kept trying to change you. And you shouldn’t have to change, for anybody. You deserve better than that, Rodney. You deserve to have someone who loves you exactly the way you are.”

“Sheppard,” Rodney said slowly. “ _John_. If you’re not saying what I think you’re saying…”

“I’m voluntarily talking about our feelings, McKay,” John said, going for his usual drawl and almost succeeding. “Figure it out.”

Rodney grinned. “We are both really screwed up people, you know that, right?”

John grinned back. “Yeah,” he said, and reached for Rodney’s hand.

THE END


End file.
